Psalm 17 - A Prayer of David - Bible Baptist Church

A Prayer of David

Text: Psalm 17

Confident prayer (vss 1-5)

David pleads for the divine Judge of the earth to hear what is right.
Now, it’s possible for people to think their cause is just when it’s not. But David goes further to say he’s been tried and he’s purposed in his heart to do right.
David knows confidence in prayer isn’t about luck or rolling the dice. It’s about conviction, purpose, and trust.
Imagine being in temptation’s grip. The easy road says, “Give in.” But you choose the fruit of the Spirit instead. That’s when your prayer becomes powerful. That’s when you approach God, not as a gambler hoping for a jackpot, but as a son or daughter standing on firm ground, saying, “I’ve walked in integrity, Lord. I trust You.”
David doesn’t plead for help out of desperation alone. He brings evidence. He says, “I’ve kept myself. I’ve resisted evil even when others did me wrong.” That’s courage. That’s confidence. That’s the prayer of someone who knows their God is faithful.
David argues his prayer to God. His argument to solicit the LORD’s help is David’s own heart. He says, LORD, I’ve kept myself through trials. I have not done evil to the people who do evil to me.

Lovingkindness is covenant love like a marriage
Does God have wings?
- Not that we know of. There are lots of poetic figures of speech in the Bible. People can take something literal that’s clearly a figure of speech, or take a figure of speech literally and create weird doctrine out of it. Some common sense knowledge of literature is necessary if you’re going to be a teacher of the Bible.
- Jesus identifies himself in the same way with Jerusalem.

The wicked are put into the service of God against wickedness, so David asks the LORD not to employ the wicked in the destruction of the righteous.
Conformed into Christ’s image is the predetermined course of the LORD (Romans 8:29).
- Put on Christ.
- The mind of Christ.
- The love of Christ.